With the newest season available on Netflix, the Underwoods are less a pair of anti-heroes and more the antagonists of their own show. Season four of House of Cards gives us more of the ongoing antics of a trio of psychopaths: Frank and Claire Underwood; and their attack dog Chief of Staff, the bootlicking Doug Stemper; and surrounds… Continue reading I’ve reached Peak Underwood→

Fiction for all that it frees the writer to bend the world to our will can still seem a step too far beyond reality when we create a certain situation or a character. It would be hard to believe that someone could get to the queen's bedroom if Michael Fagan hadn't done it. Or that… Continue reading Baseball is stranger than fiction→

I saw Ex Machina on Friday, after waiting a while for it to be in wide enough release in my home town. Before getting to the spoilers, and there will be some , I wanted to say that I really enjoyed Ex Machina. It was the kind of science fiction that's a nice alternative to… Continue reading Ex Machina: reflections on the movie→

A few years ago, the idea of watching Star Trek fan films would have had me laughing. My first thought would have been of the kids from Galaxy Quest making a film in someone's basement or garage. But then at a 2005 convention in Toronto I got a look at Star Trek: New Voyages' episode… Continue reading New Star Trek→